


The Shadowblade

by jo_coztal



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-07
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2019-11-13 13:45:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18032864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jo_coztal/pseuds/jo_coztal
Summary: With a past haunting her dreams and a present too chaotic to handle sober, SI:7 Agent Kaisha Moonray traverses the intrigues and dangers of a world at war.





	1. Of Drunks and Pastries

**Author's Note:**

> The story is centered around my World of Warcraft OC, Kaisha - a Kaldorei Outlaw Rogue. While the majority of the narrative will take place during the Battle for Azeroth expansion, there will be insight into Kai's life prior to the events of BfA. Prominent NPC's to feature: Mathias Shaw, Flynn Fairwind, Jaina Proudmoore, and Taelia Fordragon.

Kai stared blankly at the now-empty tankard in front of her, the light trickle of foam still sliding it’s way down the inside of the wooden mug.  She’d barely tasted the ale – she didn’t even recall ordering it.  But that was typical of most nights now.  Ever since the burning… since Teldrassil.

Shaking her head and glancing blearily around the pub, Kai didn’t see any familiar faces.  This place was off the beaten path, deeper into the city of Boralus than most 7th Legion soldiers ventured.  The Crow, it was called.  The air inside was thick with the smell of the working people who drank here, an odd combination of sweat and fish.  There was always something happening here – a fight, a crowd of drunks singing some shanty or another, a bawdy lass dancing on the tables with her skirts flying through the air.

That’s why Kai liked it here.  Throughout most of Boralus, her tall form, long ears, and glowing eyes made it difficult to blend in.  While elves, Kaldorei in particular, weren’t unusual in the city, they were far outnumbered by the local Kul Tirans and thus drew the eye when they passed by.  In The Crow?  No one cared.  She came and went as she pleased and no one gave a damn.

It had been several weeks since the disastrous return of Jaina Proudmoore to her childhood home.  Weeks since Kai had been imprisoned over some decades-old family squabble and thrown into the political landscape of an island nation she had little to no interest in.  But such was the life of a soldier, right?

She was an infiltrator and scout for SI:7 – she’d fought in wars under the Alliance banner for decades.  Kai had killed, tortured, maimed, and brutalized – all for the Alliance.  After the fight against the Legion had been won, she’d expected a few years of peace – a chance to finally fix all the broken things in her head and re-center herself… to say that the assumption had been a naïve one was an understatement.

Could a Kaldorei “re-center” one’s self without Teldrassil?  Find inner contentment and reconnect with the things that had once made them happy, when those things no longer existed?

Kai raised her hand in a quick motion, drawing the attention of the barmaid making her rounds through the room.  As Kai lifted her empty tankard and shook it slightly, the barmaid nodded.  Within moments, Kai had fresh ale flowing warmly down her throat – the memories of that lost life were always easier to disregard when she was drunk.

She didn’t know how long she sat there – or how many more times her ale was replenished – only that the room had slowly begun to empty, the music had gone quiet, and the time to stumble back to the harbor was near… of course, nothing ever went as planned anymore, did it?

“Oi!  Crime buddy!”

Jumping slightly in surprise and reaching for one of her twin blades as she attempted to locate the source of the loud and shockingly close voice that’d broken through her drunken stupor, Kai’s eyes landed on the face of Flynn Fairwind.  The man had been a near constant companion since her arrival in Kul Tiras.  His attitude, alcoholism, and general disregard for his own safety reminded Kai very much of herself.

“Fairwind,” Kai said with only the slightest hint of a slur, “I was wondering if you’d show up tonight.”

It was Flynn who’d told her about The Crow in the first place – it wasn’t odd to find him here when their travels brought them back to Boralus.  While she wasn’t certain what demons he was fighting, they seemed just as vicious as the ones lurking in Kai’s own head.

“You know, love,” he began as he sat down in the seat beside her, “I do believe you’re the only woman I’ve ever met who drinks more than I do.”

Kai smirked and raised her half-empty glass in mock salute before tipping the contents into her mouth and finishing off the ale in a few large gulps.  “Shouldn’t you be sleeping in front of Taelia’s door or something?  Protecting our idealistic lady friend from monsters and brigands?”

Flynn threw her scowl.  “I am _not_ her protector… and she wouldn’t need me anyway.”

Raising a skeptical brow, Kai shook her head, “I don’t know, Flynn.  You seem to hang on that girl’s words like a starving man seeing a feast for the first time.”

“She’s a _friend,_ ” Flynn took a large swig from his own drink before slamming the mug onto the table, “What about you?  Any feasts of your own, _Shadowblade_?  What about that SI:7 fellow?  What was his name?”

Kai’s face scrunched in mock disgust as she nearly choked on her own saliva, “Shaw?  You’ve _got_ to be joking.”  Flynn’s laughter at her reaction, while annoying, eventually brought a smile to her face, “What ever gave you _that_ idea?”

“I don’t know, you talk about the bloke a lot,” Flynn was leaning forward on the table now, a small smile hugging the corners of his mouth, “I’d assumed that maybe there was a little… _pleasure_ mixed in with the business there.” His eyebrows wiggled in what was clearly meant to convey a thoroughly inappropriate innuendo.

“You’re revolting, you know that?”  Laughing quietly, Kai thought back to the first time she met Mathias Shaw – now her commanding officer – in the Stormwind barracks almost two decades earlier.  He’d been a skinny, dirty, awkward little thing back then.  “Mathias is a close friend, one of the few I have.  I’ve known him since he was barely more than a boy.  He’s like a little brother to me.”

“That’s right, you’re an old lady aren’t you?”

Kai reached out and slapped Flynn on the shoulder, “I’ll have you know,” the slur was back in her voice now, reminding her of just how inebriated she was, “that I’m young by Kaldorei standards.”

Flynn laughed, “Still older than me though, right love?”

“Only by a few centuries.”  They laughed together, the alcohol in their systems overriding whatever else was on their minds.

Conversation was always easy between them – their drunken discussions typically covering everything from the benefits of corsets to the ideal use of a butter knife in a scuffle.  “Whatever happens, friend,” Flynn said quietly as they walked out of The Crow some time later, “I’m glad you came to Kul Tiras.”

“You should be glad – you’d be dead by now if not for me.  Plus I’m easy on the eyes, which never hurts, right?”

Flynn glanced her way, an odd look on his face before he looked to the ground and shoved his hands into his pockets, “You’ll make it to the harbor just fine?”

Frowning, Kai noted the odd posture and shift in his body language.  He seemed uncomfortable and she was too drunk to determine the cause.  “Are you alright?”

Glancing at her in slight alarm, Flynn nodded overly quick, before turning and beginning his trek to wherever he planned to sleep that night, “G’night, crime buddy!  See you tomorrow!”

* * *

The pounding on the door matched the pounding in her head the following morning.  Groaning loudly, Kai threw one of her large boots toward the door of her room on the top level of the Snug Harbor Inn, “Go away!”

“Rise and shine, Champion!”

_Taelia_.

If Kai wasn’t utterly miserable in her hungover state, she would have rolled her eyes.  She sat up slowly, the room spinning in an odd motion that reminded Kai of the sea.  Taking deep, steady breaths, she clenched her eyes shut and willed away the nausea with decades of self-discipline, convincing her body that throwing up the contents of her stomach was simply unacceptable.

“Just a minute,” she grumbled as she rose to stand on unsteady feet.  Glancing down, Kai determined that the large nightshirt she wore was sufficiently covering her unmentionable bits and she walked to unlock the door.  Opening it slowly, she grimaced as the smell of freshly baked bread hit her like a punch, throwing a fresh wave of nausea her way.

“It occurred to me,” Taelia said brightly as she walked into the room oblivious to Kai’s discomfort, “that you haven’t experienced a true Kul Tiran breakfast!”

That explained the smell.  Kai closed the door and walked slowly back to the bed, sitting lightly on the edge, determined not to embarrass herself by puking on Taelia’s boots.

“So,” the younger woman continued, “I brought you freshly baked berry pastries.  These are a Boralus specialty and I know you’ll love them.”

Glancing at the steaming pastries that Taelia had brought, Kai was certain she’d never been less excited to eat anything in her life, “I’m not really a breakfast person, Taelia.”

“Oh bollocks!” Suddenly a large, fragrant pastry was just below Kai’s nose, Taelia having shoved in toward her face as she sat down beside her, “I’ve seen you eat at camp in the mornings.  You’ve got the appetite of a bear!”

“Thank you.  Have I ever mentioned how very charming you are, Taelia?” Kai replied with a frown while taking the pastry into her own hands, moving it away from her face and continuing to fight the internal battle against her nausea.

“We have a busy day ahead.  If we leave soon, we should make it to Kennings Lodge before nightfall.”  Taelia took a large bite from her own pastry and made a sound of contentment as she chewed, “These are really good, Kai!  Eat!”

Glancing hesitantly down at the food in her hands, Kai swallowed.  It did smell lovely – it reminded her of the sweetcakes they sold in the Stormwind trade district.  Taking the smallest bite possible, Kai began to chew.  It was a mix of tart berries and sweetened bread with a hint of an unidentifiable spice… it tasted divine.

Nausea forgotten, Kai ate the remainder of her pastry in a few ravenous bites, reaching across Taelia’s lap to an extra one she’d brought and eating that one as well, “Do they only sell these here in town?” she asked mid-chew.

Looking as though she was attempting to contain a laugh, Taelia shook her head, “No, you can get these most places.  I’m sure I can find more for you tomorrow.”

Nodding, Kai glanced around the room, suddenly more awake and alert.  Despite her drunkenness, Kai had stacked her leathers neatly on the only chair in the room the night before and her weapons were hung on the bedpost next to her.  “We depart soon?”

“In an hour?”  Taelia replied, “I haven’t seen Flynn yet but I think he was out late last night,” Kai nodded, having been with the man herself and knowing he was probably in worse shape than she was, “I’m sorry,” Taelia said with a laugh, “I didn’t even ask how you were feeling this morning!”

Kai began to sort through her armor, seeking out the bodice of her uniform, “I’m fine.”

“That’s an SI:7 uniform, right?”

Kai looked Taelia’s way, getting the impression that Taelia was attempting… small talk.  Kai wasn’t the worst conversationalist in the world, but Taelia wasn’t the type of person she normally invested time in – Taelia just seemed so… young. “Yes, it is.”

“You’ve been with SI:7 for a long time, right?  Flynn mentioned you were a pretty important person back in Stormwind.”

Kai snorted at that, lifting her now-located bodice from the stack of blue leather, “I don’t know if I’d go so far as to say I’m _important_ , but I’m a lead scout for the crown.”

Taelia seemed interested in hearing more, quirking her head to the side as she asked more questions, “Why do you serve the High King and not your own people?  Tyrande Whisperwind leads the night elves, right?”

_Tyrande_.  If ever there was a sore subject in Kai’s past, the High Priestess of Elune was one of them.  Kai had left her life in Darnassus behind after it became clear that she would never meet the standards of her people’s leader.

“Tyrande and I disagree on many things and that’s all I will say about that.”  Stepping behind the thin modesty curtain in the corner of the room, Kai dressed quickly, strapping into her uniform with practiced ease.

“But why come to Kul Tiras?  Were the differences so great that you would rather be here so soon after your homeland was destroyed?”

Inhaling sharply through her nose, Kai stepped out from behind the curtain and looked pointedly at the young woman.  She knew she was about to snap, but Kai had never been skilled at holding her tongue, “I am a soldier.  I follow orders.  The High King thought your people were worth the risk – that your fleet was worth the risk.  So I stand here in a city I care little about, fighting to solve _your_ _people’s_ problems, while my people remain unavenged.”

Taelia’s face fell and her eyes had shifted to the floor.  “I’m sorry.”

Sighing heavily, Kai immediately regretted her words.  “No, it’s I that should be sorry.  You didn’t know.”

“No, I _did_ know.  I can’t imagine what that must be like, to lose everything like that.”

Kai walked across the small room and sat back down beside Taelia, feeling awkward and a bit uncomfortable.  “I hadn’t lived in Teldrassil for many years before the burning.  I didn’t want to go back.  At least, not until recently.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not…” Kai hesitated before continuing, “My mother had wanted me to be a Sentinel, a highly respected position in Darnassus.  I trained for many years and had a promising future.”

Taelia was looking at her again, “What happened?”

“I was sent on a scouting mission to the Eversong Woods, to assess the activity of the Sin’dorei, the Blood Elves.  I… behaved in a way that shamed my people and I was told that I would never become a Sentinel.  So I left.”

“But how did you shame your people?”

Thinking back to that day, so many years before, Kai frowned.  “That’s a story for another day, Taelia.”


	2. Banshee

"You've _got_ to be kidding me."

Tucked closely behind a rotting fencepost near the pig-pens of the village of Fallhaven, Kaisha felt like it was perhaps time to start rethinking her life choices. The enormous pig, Betsy, was moving in slow circles in the pens, her sickly flesh and glowing blue eyes making the bow on her head stand out in an oddly horrifying manner. Any job - regardless of how rewarding or important - was not worth this shit.

In fact, if Kai was completely honest with herself, Drustvar as a whole was the stuff of nightmares. The forests were filled with cursed wildlife and strange beasts that attacked on sight, the residents were either cursed themselves or so incredibly frightened by the current going's on that they were willing to hang an innocent woman to make it all go away... While not easily spooked, Kai was ready to leave this place less than a minute after she arrived.

Staying as hidden as possible, she began the slow trek around the pens to get closer to the unsettling beast. The mud beneath her feet was soft and stunk of rotting vegetation, her boots sinking beneath the surface with each step. Kai knew that she wouldn't be able to keep the element surprise for much longer - So with a deep sigh and a slight shake of her head, she dropped out of stealth and leapt through the air toward the pig.

_Toward a pig_. One of the most efficient and deadly operatives in SI:7 history, attacking a damned pig. She'd be requesting an increase in pay after this.

All things considered, however, the pig was a worthy adversary. It moved it's bulk around with unnatural speed and Kai found herself thrown onto her back in the mud more than once after the creature charged at her. Her twin daggers punctured its flesh numerous times before anything resembling blood began to seep out, the dark substance seeming more coagulated then blood should be. Feeling bile rise in her throat, Kai finally dispatched the cursed creature by nearly severing its head, the large pink bow falling limply into the mud next to it's body.

After watching the unnatural glow in it's eyes dim, Kai double-timed it back to the town proper, the large effigy in the central courtyard burnt and destroyed. The town itself had been frozen in time just a few days ago, courtesy of Helen Gentle, a witch who'd been causing havoc in the area. Kai herself had aided in the witch hunt, tracking down and killing the source of the curse - The villagers had no memory of the time they'd been frozen and Kai thought that a small mercy.

Now, however, the town had begun the process of rebuilding what they'd lost and stomping out the last remaining vestiges of the curse - Betsy among them. "Is it done, then?" Fallhaven's mayor, Cyril White, asked as Kai made her way into the village.

Nodding, Kai replied, "The pens should be safer now, though you might want to burn the body."

"Thank you, Miss. Our village owes you more than we can say." The mayor then held out a small leather pouch, "A sign of our gratitude, though it isn't much."

Kai frowned. These people had almost lost everything and the idea of taking their gold made her feel dirty. "Keep it, I don't need your coin."

Looking confused for a moment, Cyril pulled his arm back and glanced down at the pouch he held, "Perhaps we Kul Tiran's should be more welcoming to your Alliance, Miss. Thank you. I'll send word to Boralus of your deeds here."

With little more than a lift of her chin in acknowledgement, Kai turned away from the man and headed toward the stables. Stopping in Fallhaven hadn't been in her plans - Lucille Waycrest and her _'Order of Embers'_ were waiting for her in Arom's Strand, a town in the mountains to the southwest. If her estimates were correct, it was still early enough to make it up the mountain pass before nightfall, barring any additional delays.

Her charger, a giant black stallion she'd acquired several days earlier, was stomping anxiously inside of his stall when she reached her destination. The boys who'd been charged with his care while she'd been 'pig hunting' looked relieved to see her return. "We fed him, ma'am, but can't seem to calm him."

Sighing heavily once again, Kai thought back to the days she'd spent wandering around the Broken Isles on a well-trained and agile manasaber - or even her mission in Pandaria, where she'd had a brown bear who barreled through enemies like a battering-ram and who'd loved beer more than she had. A good mount was something she'd never take for granted again.

"Hey!" she called out impatiently, seeing the horse's nostrils flare in annoyance at her approach. "Are we really going through this again? You need to calm down, you big idiot." Seemingly understanding her remarks, the horse snorted at her while shaking its head in a gesture that might be interpreted as dismissive. "Listen, you're stuck with me for the time being so cut the attitude. We have places to be."

Luckily the animal gave in and stood relatively still as she saddled him and prepared to head out. Looking to the west, Kai saw the road that led up into the mountains - the snow in distance didn't bode for extended travel. The path would likely be steep and the terrain problematic, but those were the conditions this beast was bred for. "I need to give you a name at some point, don't I?" She asked while checking the saddle one last time.

The stallion snorted again, refusing to make eye contact with her as she pulled herself up and onto it's back, "What about Banshee?" The horse shook it's head, the short black hair of its mane flopping back and forth across its head and neck, "Yeah, you're definitely a Banshee."

* * *

"Beg pardon, ma'am," the gruff and thickly accented voice of a soldier called out quietly from beside her, "Communication from Boralus. Lady Waycrest worried it might be urgent and asked I give these to you straight away."

As she sat beside a small campfire, Kai saw two folded letters in the man's paw-like fist. Holding her hand out, he passed them to her before nodding and stepping away. The people here in the mountains were hardier than the people of Fallhaven and along the eastern coast. They spoke roughly, wore thick, fur-lines clothes, and carried large, bulky weapons. These were the warriors that Taelia had told her about - the soldiers that Drustvar was famous for.

Turning her attention to the parchment in her hands, she saw one had the familiar, neat penmanship of her superior officer, Mathias Shaw, and the other bore writing she didn't recognize. Thinking the letter from Shaw to be the highest priority, Kai opened it first, her eyes scanning the contents quickly. It was in code, as all of Shaw's letters were, seemingly asking about her welfare and little else.

In reality, however, the message conveyed much more. The first line: " _Are you well_?" He expected an immediate report back. The second: " _Things here have been monotonous,"_ which indicated that the war was likely stagnant, then " _and I worry I'll die from boredom_." This meant he had a covert operation in progress, risky, but still in play. By telling her about it, he was likely indicating that he needed her back in Boralus, possibly as backup.

Third line: " _The locals are asking after you. You made quite the impression_." This could have multiple meanings. Either her actions in Drustvar had caught the attention of the Admiralty and she needed to be careful _or_ their Kul Tiran partners needed her for the investigation after their fleet's whereabouts. Finally, the letter was simply signed " _Matt_."

"Shit," she muttered under her breath. Lucille Waycrest needed her here and this operation would take time - two weeks, maybe more. A reply would be sent out at first light, equally coded as Shaw's had been, to inquire for further information and to update him on her progress.

The second letter, the one written in the unfamiliar hand, was opened next.

" _To Our New Friend, Kaisha,_

_We've missed you since you've been away! How goes things in Drustvar? The investigation into Lord Stormsong is still slow going, but we hope to have an update soon. When will you return to Boralus? We think your skills will be quite necessary when we venture north and hope you'll be back in time to come along._

_Best Wishes, Taelia_ "

Beneath Taelia's signature, written in a different and far sloppier hand: " _and Flynn Fairwind, the most attractive man you've ever seen._ " Kai chuckled. The two letters couldn't have been more different. Matt's code and Taelia's openness, Flynn's lack of professionalism... an interesting dynamic, to be sure.

If Kai were honest, she wouldn't have expected any communication from Taelia - and definitely not from Flynn - following their operations in Tiragarde Sound. They'd gotten a job done, returned to Boralus, and that had been, in Kai's estimation, the last she'd see of them. Clearly not. In Taelia's words, she was their "new friend."

_Lovely_.

Kai didn't do friendships - she had two friends on Azeroth and even they were sometimes too much for her to manage. Spymaster Mathias Shaw and High Anchorite Aeriss - The leader of SI:7 and a Holy Priestess of the Draenei. Having any one else in her life wasn't in the cards - especially during a war.

A stomping sound in the dirt next her pulled her attention from the letters she held and back to her problematic horse. Arom's Strand wasn't equipped for the number of people taking shelter here so Kai was sleeping in one of the small tents arranged in the large, open courtyard in the center of town, her stallion tethered beside her with a blanket covering the bulk of his form.

"Not comfortable?" Kai asked flippantly as she stood and walked toward the beast, "I'm not either, but you don't see me stomping around like a child."

The newly named _Banshee_ nickered in a way that implied he wasn't very happy. Kai glanced up into the dark evening sky and saw the tiniest bit of snow beginning to fall... which likely meant her tent and her horse would get soaked if she didn't locate better shelter. "Damn it," she whispered, glancing around the area toward the few stables she'd seen earlier. They were just as full now as they had been when she arrived.

There was, however, a large shed-like structure on the southern end of town that didn't appear full. There was an empty horse-drawn cart inside and what looked like boxes on the ground. It would do for her pampered horse.

After grabbing Banshee's reins, Kai pulled the beast slowly over the storage shed. There was a small campfire nearby that a few of the town's soldiers were maintaining while they stood watch, which provided both warmth and light. The shed itself had the slightest rotten smell to it, the wood slightly warped from the constant rain and snow.

"Well, princess?" she asked while glancing Banshee's way, "Will this do for your majesty?"

The horse snorted in response, turning it's body slightly as it maneuvered itself into the open space between the cart and the shed's northern wall. Banshee sniffed curiously at the air around him before giving his head at little shake.

Kai gave an exaggerated bow toward the animal before she climbed up into the driver's seat of the cart, putting her level with Banshee's face. "I'm going to sleep now," she said while securing his reins to the solid wood at the front of the cart, eying him suspiciously. "Try not to get into trouble, yeah?"

Sitting back and relaxing into the semi-comfortable wooden seat, Kai closed her eyes and placed her hands firmly at the hilts of her daggers before drifting off into a light, fitful sleep.

* * *

It was several hours later, just as dawn was beginning to rise in the east, that Kai woke up in a panic.  She could still taste the coppery blood of the nightmare on her lips, hear the screams around her, smell the sweet scent of the Eversong Woods floating through the air... the memories of that horrible day, so long ago, still haunting her.

Her breath was coming out in rough pants, sweat dripping down her back and forehead.  She clenched her eyes shut, willing herself to calm down as the cold morning air washed over her senses.  "It was just a dream," she whispered hoarsely, "It was just a dream."

Something wet touched her hand a few minutes later, prompting Kai to open her eyes and shift her focus back onto the world around her.  It was Banshee.  The stallion's large head bumped against her thigh and she watched him lick her hand once more.  He nickered quietly, his gaze piercing and almost concerned.

"It was just a dream," she repeated.


	3. Dreams and Memories

##### Zuldazar, Present Day

Checking her roughly sketched map one more time, Kai made a few quick adjustments and tucked the parchment back into the small pouch she wore at her waist.  The jungle landscape of Zuldazar was as beautiful as it was deadly - each step further into the heart of the Zandalari Empire was fraught with horrifying possibilities ranging from death to possible dismemberment.  In short, Kai was in her element.

Following the events of Drustvar, she'd returned to Boralus ready to continue her efforts in Kul Tiras.  Lucille Waycrest had been an effective leader and the people she'd fought beside had earned Kai's respect - Her superior officer, Spymaster Mathias Shaw, had other plans, however.  SI:7 efforts in Zandalar had been hampered by rough terrain, hostile wildlife, and a number of unanticipated setbacks stemming from a larger than expected Horde presence.

Kai's mission, as it stood now, was to map the terrain, identify suitable locations for Alliance outposts, and report back on Horde and Zandalari activities in the area.  Similar teams were working to the north in Vol'dun and Nazmir.

With the aid of the Dark Iron dwarves the Alliance had secured a small and rough base of operations in Xibala to the far south, but it's proximity to Dazar'alor created mobility issues.  Kai herself was currently high on a mountainside, the Great Seal below her to the east, attempting to map a suitable route for troops to move north for a further foothold in the region.

Looking down to her right thigh, Kai winced and adjusted the bandages covering a rather deep wound she'd earned from a large and unhappy cat-like creature a few hours earlier.  Unlike the heavily armored beasts down by the coast in Xibala, the territorial cats of these jungle paths were not willing to passively watch as she traveled through their lands.  They hunted in packs and stalked their prey like wolves.

Kai was once again glad that her attitudinal horse, Banshee, was ill-suited for the climate and terrain here - those cats would have taken him down easily.  Currently, the beast was stabled in Boralus with only Taelia for company - serves him right.  Hopefully Tae was braiding flowers into his hair or something and driving the creature mad.

"I need a drink," she grumbled as she turned her attention back to her surroundings.  Noticing movement high above her, she tucked further into the shadows as a group of patrolling Zandalari circled high above her on their armored pterrordax.  Moving any more than a small handful soldiers up through this area would be problematic, but if the past two days were any indication, the Zandalari patrolled the area in regular intervals - if SI:7 timed their movements carefully, they'd be able to get through unnoticed.

Turning back toward the incline leading further up the cliff face, Kai spotted a ledge that would serve well enough for a secluded place to sleep, so long as no animals called it home.  The _Veiled Grotto_ , an area several hours north of her current location, was her initial destination on this trip, but she wouldn't make it there today.

The weather was hot and humid and the nights in Zuldazar were warm enough that she should be able to rest comfortably without a fire.  The trek up was incident-free and it took only a little time to prepare a place to camp for the night - Kai would rest lightly, daggers in-hand, but someone would need to be actively looking for her before she'd be noticed here.  And ideal scenario, all things considered.

With the humidity and heat, however, Kai decided it would be best to remove her gloves while she slept.  Her boots too.  The amount of sweat making it's way down her back was likely only a hint of dampness around her fingers and toes - a disgusting thought, but a reality of this terrain.  Rather than losing a nail to rot or fungus, she'd sleep barefoot and barehanded.

With her boots tucked against the rock at her back, Kai slowly removed the worn leather at her hands, exposing a small decorative bracelet on her right wrist.  She'd worn the trinket for decades - a relic of a lost life.  She wasn't even sure why she wore it anymore... the sentiments behind the gift no longer mattered.  But she was, it seemed, a creature of habit.

The sun was hanging low in the sky and light rain began to fall around her as she tucked herself against the rock, her eyes closing and sleep taking her quickly.

* * *

##### Teldrassil, 120 years earlier

"Wake up!" a familiar voice called out in a comically harsh whisper as Kaisha felt a light tug on her ear, "I swear to Elune an entire herd of kodo could race past you and you wouldn't wake up!"

Opening her eyes, Kai made out the shape of broad shoulders, pointed ears, and long, dark hair in the low light of her bedroom.  "Var?  Is that you?"

The sound of a deep chuckle hit her ears.  Telanvar, a young and handsome archer, had grown up with Kaisha in the great city of Darnassus.  He was dear to her - more so than any other creature in Azeroth.  The twinkle in his eyes, his quick smile, and his natural tendency toward mischief had been an ever-present joy to her.  "What are you doing here?" she asked quietly, her voice rough with sleep, "Its the middle of the night."

"I'm stealing you away, of course," he replied matter-of-factly, tugging gently on her hand and pulling her to a seated position, "At this rate, though, your father will barge in here and have my head."

Suddenly fearful of the imminent arrival of her grumpy and bedraggled father, Kai turned her head immediately to her bedroom door, "He'll be irate!  You need to go!"

"Only with you, sweet," Telanvar said in a low murmur, making her heart race and her breath catch.

"I can't leave," she whispered even as she turned on the mattress and put her feet onto the wooden floor, "what if he realizes I'm gone?"

"You'll be back by dawn, now hurry!"

After planting a quick kiss on his cheek, Kai rushed across the room in her nightshirt and tugged on a pair of pants and boots before joining Telanvar at the window, using her fingers to comb through her disheveled hair, "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," he whispered back before lifting a leg out of the window, "Follow me!"

Just as his form disappeared out of the window, Kai carefully sat on the wooden ledge and turned to look outside, seeing the flapping wings of Var's hippogriff, Starfall, almost touching the outer wall of her family's home.  The streets of Craftsmen's Terrace were empty around them, dimly lit by the hanging lights that lined the pathways.

Var was seated on Starfall's back, his hand held out to her, "Come on!"

Grinning widely, Kai took his hand and managed a graceful leap out of the window and onto the hippogriff, seating herself on Var's lap as he maneuvered Starfall away from her bedroom window.

The rooftops of the city soon gave way to treetops and open glades as they flew swiftly east.  It took several minutes, their journey taking them beyond Dolanaar and north into the secluded and quiet of Shadowglen.  Var landed them on the northernmost outskirts, free from the view from the Sentinels who patrolled the area.

"They would have seen us fly in, don't you think?" Kai asked, still whispering despite there being no one within earshot to hear them.

"Of course they did.  But my sister is on duty tonight and she's agreed to turn a blind eye to our little _outing_."  Releasing Starfall with a light pat to his back, they watched as the hippogriff cantered off a few dozen feet, dipping it's beak into a nearby pool of water for a drink.

"What are we doing out here?" Kai asked, glancing back and forth as she scanned the area for any onlookers, "Are you sure we won't get into trouble?"

"We're having a picnic," Var replied with a laugh, taking Kai by the hand and walking her toward a blanket on the ground nearby, "And stop worrying.  You mother is off in Darkshore and your father sleeps even deeper than you do.  It'll be fine."

"A picnic?  In the middle of the night?"

Turning to look at her incredulously, Var asked with a laugh, "Will you be asking questions all night?  I think you'd enjoy it better if you stopped worrying and just had fun."

Kai let out a falsely dramatic sigh and followed Var - perhaps more eagerly than she should have - to the blanket.  There was a basket with bread and wine waiting for them, which Var poured into glasses as they sat down.  The sweetness of the wine left a tingle down Kai's throat as she settled onto the blanket, seated with her back tucked into Var's side, one hand on his bent knee, "This is nice," she whispered.

"It is," he replied back, tucking his chin onto her shoulder and kissing it lightly, "Do you think we'll bring our children here one day, tell them how we met and sound as old as our parents do?"

Kai shook her head and took another sip of wine before saying, "I don't know if its possible to sound as old as my parents."  The glittering light of the treetops gave a soft purple glow to the air around them, and Kai could almost imagine the sounds of children giggling there, centuries in the future.  "My father will approve, right?  I know mother already does."

"Your father loathes me, but its only because he still thinks of you as a little girl."

"Once I finish Sentinel training he'll have no other excuse," Kai thought to the progress she'd made the past few months, her combat training moving swiftly, "I should be able to start patrols with my mother in a few weeks.  I might even be able to go to Darkshore with you soon."

Var chuckled, "I hope not.  You'd be the worst kind of distraction."  He kissed the skin of her shoulder again, putting his free hand over hers as it rested on his knee.  "I have a gift for you."

Dreams of giggling children and Sentinel patrols forgotten, Kai sat up quickly and turned to him excitedly, "Really?  What is it?"

Leaning forward, Var planted a wet kiss on her lips, prompting Kai to close her eyes and return the embrace with enthusiasm.  It wasn't until several heated moments later that Kai felt Var tugging something around the fingers of right her hand.  She pulled back from the kiss and glanced down to see a simple and quite lovely bracelet on her wrist.  A silver crescent moon rested along a light leather strap, several blue and green beads decorating the leather as it wrapped around her arm.

"It's not much, but I saw it and thought of you."

Kai felt a smile tugging at her lips as she examined the bracelet. "I love you, you know that, right?"

"I know.  And so do I."

* * *

##### Zuldazar, Present Day

Kai's eyes opened, her breath even and calm, the early dawn light beginning to spread across the jungle around her.  Her hands clenched the hilts of her daggers tightly as she tried to focus on the sounds and scents of the morning, but her mind and heart still resided in the dream.  In the past.

This was why she drank, of course.  Whenever her mind was clear she had the most vivid dreams - dreams of the past, dreams of the future that had been stolen from her... She hated them.  Almost as much as she loathed herself.

Looking down at her gloveless right hand, Kai saw the worn leather, the crescent moon, the small beads... seeing it the night before prompted the memory, she supposed.  She hadn't seen or spoken to Telanvar in decades.  If she were honest, she wasn't even sure if he was still alive... so many had died when the Banshee Queen burned Teldrassil to the ground.  So many still unaccounted for.

Taking a deep, cleansing breath, Kai sheathed her daggers and reached for her gloves, determined to cover the bracelet, the memories, and the regrets until she had a drink to smother them with.

 


	4. A Cigar and a Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's hints toward adult topics in this chapter, nothing that I would consider NSFW but if you aren't comfortable with the insinuation of adult situations, you may want to skip this one.

"It will leave a scar," Aeriss said in a calm voice, "But otherwise you should make a full recovery."

Kaisha was seated on the wooden railing at the starboard side of the _Wind's Redemption_ as the High Priestess saw to the leg wound that Kai had failed to take proper care of during her mission in Zuldazar.  She'd been on her way out from a debrief with Mathias Shaw when the healer had bullied her into sitting down for an examination.  "Thanks, Aeri."

The tall and delicately featured Draenei arched a brow as she looked Kai over from head to toe, "Dear one, you really should take better care of yourself."  She placed a perfectly manicured hand on Kai's cheek, the stare of her glowing eyes feeling as if it could see into the far depths of Kai's soul, "If I'd known you were falling back into your old habits I would have come to Kul Tiras sooner."

"Okay, mother," Kai replied with a laugh, grabbing Aeriss' hand and shoving it away affectionately, "I'll be sure to eat my vegetables."

With a disapproving frown on her face, Aeriss took a small step back and smoothed out the pale blue fabric of her skirts.  As a High Anchorite of the Draenei, Aeriss was often in Stormwind with Prophet Velen and the High King, Anduin Wrynn.  She had been one of many tutors who'd trained the King in the ways of the Light when he was still just a growing boy and now she often served as a liaison between the Alliance and the Netherlight Temple.

"What are you doing here anyway, Aeri?"

While glancing toward docks on the far side of the boat, Aeriss replied distractedly, "I was asked to work with the High Commander on training several of his more promising priests and paladins.  Healers are in short supply, unfortunately." Her brows furrowed slightly before she asked, "Do you know that girl?"

Turning to follow Aeriss' gaze, she saw Taelia waving awkwardly from the docks.  Kai sighed in heavy resignation, "Yes, I know her."

"It looks like she wishes to speak with you."

Kai rolled her eyes and turned back to Aeriss, seeing the light of the late afternoon sun bouncing off of her smooth, dark hair as if even the sun worshipped her beauty, "I'm sure she does."  Kai moved to stand, arching her back and stretching her shoulders, "It was good to see you, Aeri."

The Draenei smiled brilliantly at her, "And you as well, dear one.  We should have dinner together before I return to Stormwind.  Boros might be able to join us as well."

Kai thought back to her last evening in the company of Aeriss and her husband, Vindicator Boros - the two followers of the Light were a sickeningly sweet couple, even after thousands of years together.  "I'd _love_ to," she said in false excitement, "Will you be staring lovingly into each other's eyes during the entire meal like last time?"

The twinkling sound of Aeriss' laughter caused several nearby soldiers to glance adoringly in Aeriss' direction.  The Priestess had been in Boralus less than a day and already had an army of admirers - _Figures_.

"I'll send you a message with the time and place, Kaisha.  Light be with you."

Kai nodded and offered Aeriss a mock salute before walking toward Taelia, who also appeared to be looking in Aeriss' direction with a look of awe on her face as she took in the _splendor_ that was the High Anchorite.

"Who is _that_?" Taelia asked once Kai was within earshot.

"Her?  She's a harlot.  I wouldn't get too close to her if I were you, you might pick up a bawdy-house disease or something."

Taelia's breath pulled in with a gasp and she turned to Kai in shock, "Are you serious?"

The bark of laughter that erupted from Kai's mouth caused the younger woman to step back slightly in alarm, "Of course not, Taelia," she gasped out as she continued to laugh, "She's one of the King's advisors - Aeriss.  A Priest."

Glancing back toward the ship, Kai and Taelia watched as Aeriss walked - _glided_ \- across the deck, the eyes of several soldiers following her movements with interest.  "I've never seen a more graceful creature," Taelia said in, still in awe, "Do you know her well?"

"Yes and she's a tyrant."

Taelia raised a skeptical and looked back to Kai, hesitating slightly before she whispered, "I need to ask you a favor."

"Who am I killing?" Kai asked in feigned excitement, clasping her hands together and grinning to expose her elongated canines, "Anyone I know?"

Taelia chuckled, "You sure are in a good mood today, aren't you?"

Shrugging, Kai remained silent, watching as Taelia's face began to reveal the slightest hints of worry. "It's Flynn."

Kai raised a brow, "Fairwind?"

"Yes.  He's been... worried."

"Worried?"

Taelia nodded, "About you."

"Me?"

"Can you go talk to him?  Please?"  Taelia reached out and took one of Kai's hands in hers, "He's a blockhead.  He can't process any sort of emotion and remain sober at the same time."

Kai felt a wave of confusion wash over her, "What emotion is he processing?"

"Just go talk to him.  I'm sure it'll all make sense once you see him.  He's at the Curious Octopus."

Kai frowned.  "The _Curious Octopus_?  There's really a place called the _Curious Octopus_?"

Taelia nodded, "It's a bar.  Well--" she paused, then continued with a grimace, "at least he isn't at the _Kelp Club_ this time."

* * *

"Elune preserve me," Kai muttered under her breath as she approached the entrance to the Curious Octopus.  The establishment, as it turned out, was quite close to the harbor - so close, in fact, that Kai was surprised she'd never heard of it before.

A curvy woman was leaning against the wall near the entrance, her bodice overly-tight and forcing a generous amount of cleavage to spill northward.  A older pirate approached and she reached out in what Kai assumed was an attempt at a  flirtatious touch, but he waved her off and continued inside.

Hearing loud voices and the low hum of music from somewhere within, Kai could tell that the place was going to be crowded inside.  Securing her coin purse firmly at her waist, Kai stepped up to the door, the woman turning to smile at her as she approached, "I'm not for the ladies, love, but there's a few girls inside who might be willin' to take yer coin." She winked and turned back to the street, seeking out the next possible customer for her _wares_.

As her eyes adjusted to the dim light of the interior, Kai shifted her gait to appear causal, swinging her hips more than usual and losing any hints of the formality in her normally stiff posture.  The large open space was separated into two levels - the entry way was on the bottom floor with several small seating areas spread throughout.  The furniture looked at through it had been of high quality once upon a time, but years of abuse in the club atmosphere had left it worn and dull.  A doorway was off to the left, leading into an unseen, low-lit space - when a barmaid stepped hurriedly through with a tray of dirty dishes in-hand, Kai assumed that the doorway led to an "employees only" area.

To the right was a stairwell that led up to a balcony area above, several doors and hallways giving the impression that more _private_ entertainment could be sought upstairs.  Directly in front of her, however, dozens of Kul Tirans in various states of drunkenness could be seen enjoying the evening's merriment.  Music played by a dwarven bard near the stairwell filled the room and a large bar took up an entire wall, the massive skeleton of a shark's jaws hanging ominously above.  A pair of women were fighting each other on the end of the bar furthest from Kai, their scantily-clad forms rushing each other as other patrons cheered them on, coin in-hand.

A few dancing women could be seen in the darker perimeter of the room, patrons seated just in front of them, clearly having paid for the lady's attentions.  Kai clocked a number of questionable figures in the shadows as well, a few of whom appeared to be watching her.  While not in her SI:7 uniform, Kai did wear an exposed pair of daggers holstered low on her hips.  Her brown leather tunic and pants weren't anything to draw the eye, but her height alone made it difficult to blend in completely.

As she turned to continue deeper into the bar, an attractive woman - a barmaid most likely - approached her, a wicked grin on her face, "What can I do ya for, lass?"

"A cigar and an ale," Kai said as she continued to walk forward, not seeing Flynn anywhere in the immediate vicinity.

The barmaid nodded, "Want a dance, lass?  Or a room?"

"A dance?" Kai asked, glancing back at the barmaid and looking her up and down, "Are you offering?"  A lap dance would be an excellent cover for her while she attempted to track down Fairwind in this mess of people.  She could still feel eyes following her movements and she'd prefer to avoid a fight with the locals if possible - less paperwork that way.

The grin on the blonde woman's face grew even wider, "I cost extra, _sweetling_.  Can you afford me?"

Kai grinned back, "I'll take the dance, the cigar, and the ale.  Corner table."  Turning away from the woman, Kai walked forward slowly, her eyes continuing to taking in the scene around her.  A group of men were singing a sea shanty that Kai wasn't familiar with, but that clearly went with the tune the bard was playing.  A number of pirates were sat at several tables, all drinking and laughing amongst each other... but still no Flynn in sight.

Worried that she'd be waiting all night for him to emerge from a private room with a prostitute in tow, Kai began to regret coming here.  The last thing she needed was to get shit-faced drunk and end up in a scuffle that she'd need to explain to Shaw in the morning.

The table she'd spied from the entryway in the corner of the large room was just in front of her now, with a passed-out high elf sprawled across one side.  Taking a seat as far from the Quel'dorei as possible, Kai flipped the seat around so that she could passively observe the room and continue the search for the errant pirate-man she'd been sent to find.

It was several moments before the blonde barmaid approached her, lit cigar in her mouth and a large tankard of ale in one hand.  "My lady," she said in greeting, taking a long pull from the cigar before taking it out of her mouth and placing it into Kai's.  She grasped Kai's chair and shoved it almost violently backward, moving Kai into the shadows beneath the stairwell.

The ale was deposited onto the table just within arm's reach as Kai's lap was suddenly filled with the generously exposed flesh of a gyrating woman.  As Kai took a drag from the cigar and pulled it from her mouth, blonde hair suddenly tickled her face and the barmaid came in close in what was intended to be an enticing  _almost_ -kiss... but Kai knew this game.  Depending on how much work this woman did, she'd either provide a very entertaining lap dance that left a lot to the imagination, on the goal of getting repeat business another night, or she'd invite Kai into a private room for further _servicing_.

"What's your name?" Kai asked, dropping her voice in feigned arousal as she raised the tankard of ale to her lips, the woman's barely contained breasts nearly causing Kai to spill her drink all over herself.

"Cora," the woman replied, rotating slightly in Kai's lap to provide an even greater display of cleavage, "Yours?"

"Ty," Kai whispered, using her preferred alias while also pretending to lean in to steal a kiss, only to have Cora pull away with a finger to Kai's mouth.  Cora then propped herself on the back of the chair behind Kai's shoulders and did what looked like an almost physically impossible acrobatic move that put her rump directly in Kai's face for the briefest of moments before she was again seated in Kai's lap and bouncing to the music.

This continued for several minutes more, Kai peeking around the blonde woman's body occasionally to continue scanning the room for Flynn.  Cora's movements would change from aggressive to sweet to intense and back again, doing an excellent job at maintaining Kai's interest - She was good at this, Kai could admit that much.

Then she heard it.

"Her eyes!" the voice said in a familiar slur, "They glow like starlight. Moonlight!"

As Cora continued her gyrations, Kai peeked to the left and saw a group of four women leaning around a man that sat just out of sight at another table.  They appeared to be hanging on the man's every word, "When I see her," he continued, "I feel like the sun has finally come out after an eternity of darkness!"  Two of the women let out a dreamy sigh while one leaned in closer and exclaimed loudly, "Tell us more!"

Kai felt Cora's hands on her shoulders as she pulled off another series of mini-flips in her lap, Kai encouraging her with light pat to her bottom and another false lean-in for a kiss that Cora deftly avoided.  Taking another drag from the cigar, Kai kept her attention on the conversation happening several feet away.

"I've never met a woman who's very presence brings me to my knees!" the male voice continued, "She's a goddess and I'm a beggar, just hoping she'll see me and smile."  The slur, the dramatics... without even having a clear view of the man, Kai knew it was Flynn.

"Have you told her how you feel?" One of the women asked, "Yes, confess your love!" another added.

"Oi, ladies," he said dejectedly, "she'd laugh in my face, she would.  She's so far above me."

Kai rolled her eyes as Cora executed what Kai thought to be the big _finale_ of the lap dance.  If all she came here to see was Flynn fawning over Taelia like an idiot, she wasn't interested in the slightest.  Cora's twists and turns ended with her tight bodice suddenly popping open, her arms positioned so that only Kai could she the expanse of round breasts now revealed in the dim light.

Blinking in slight shock, Kai glanced up at the woman's face and saw her grinning, clearly quite happy with the performance she'd just completed, "For _you_ , my lady," she said through little pants as she attempted to catch her breath, "I'll take half off if you want to take this party someplace private, savvy?"

Ah. So Cora _did_ offer further servicing.

"Her hair is the most beautiful shade of green you'd ever see! Teal, crystal green like the ocean," Flynn continued on, oblivious, "I'd love to run my fingers through it, feel if its as soft as it looks.  _My Kai_."

Eyes still locked with Cora, Kai felt herself tense with sudden discomfort.  _My Kai_?  He was talking about _her_?

"Fuck," Kai whispered, watching Cora's grin widen.

"That's the point, love," the woman said with a murmur, reaching down and snagging the almost forgotten cigar from Kai's hand and taking a drag as her other hand secured her bodice closed again.  Kai watched the smoke spill out the woman's lips as Cora put the cigar back into Kai's mouth, "So? You buying?"

"No." Kai stated firmly, reaching down to move Cora's pale leg slightly to grasp onto her coin purse.  Pulling out a handful of gold, she shoved the money into Cora's hands and said a quick, "Another time, maybe," before lifting her up and off of the chair they'd shared, clearing the way for Kai to stand.

Taking a long, almost nervous drag off the cigar, Kai marched over the group of drunken women surrounding Flynn and pushed her way past them until she stood next to him, the table beside them covered in empty tankards she assumed had been Flynn's drink orders.

"Seriously, Flynn?" She asked, cigar in-mouth and fists balled at her hips.

At first he was silent, staring at her in both shock and adoration.  "Kai?" he finally asked in a drunken murmur, "You're back?"

"Get up.  We're leaving."  Kai reached down and pulled him to his feet, taking a quick glance at the woman around them.  "Thanks for a lovely evening, ladies,"  She said sarcastically as she pulled Flynn roughly to the door.

"Just to be clear," Flynn said as his weight leaned heavily onto Kai's side as they moved, "I would have edited myself slightly had I known you were listening in.  It was quite rude of you to eavesdrop, you know."


	5. Midnight Conversations

##### Hook Point, Boralus.  Present Day

The wooden stairs leading up to Flynn Fairwind's modest dwelling groaned in distress as they carried the weight of both the man himself and his companion, Kaisha.  Flynn's body was limp, a thin string of drool hanging from his open mouth as Kai dragged him up the steps, one of his arms held around her shoulders, his feet lifted above the ground due to her greater height.

"I'm going to have to break into your house, aren't I?" Kai muttered aloud, knowing that Flynn couldn't hear her in his current state of unconsciousness.  Upon reaching the top of the stairs, Kai glanced back down and around them, making sure that no wandering eyes were following them.  They'd traveled only a few short blocks from the _Curious Octopus_ and they would likely appear easy prey to any ruffians lurking in the dark.

Seeing no one in the near vicinity, Kai adjusted her hold on Flynn's side and shifted them closer to the door, "A key in your pockets, maybe?" she asked the man before reaching her right hand awkwardly into his front pant pocket.  Finding nothing, she moved the hand to the right side of his coat, finding only a few silver coins. "Damn it," she muttered, adjusting her hold again to turn him more toward her, freeing her left hand to check his other pant and coat pockets.  Still no key.

Seeing no other choice, Kai propped Flynn against the wall and prepared to force entry into his... house? Flat?  Maybe it was just a room?  The building itself appeared to have at least three other exterior doors that seemed to indicate that multiple families could be crammed within in their own private spaces.  Twisting her shoulder in preparation, Kai reached for the door handle to test the lock's strength, turning the latch slightly... and it opened.  The door was neither locked or secured in any way.

Frowning, Kai glanced over at Flynn's limp face and hoped that he didn't make a habit of leaving his home unlocked in an area as bad as this one.  Grasping onto him more firmly, Kai picked him back up and dragged him the final few feet into his house... which, as it turned out, was just one large room.

Leaving the door slightly ajar to allow for light from the nearby street to illuminate the interior, Kai looked around and saw a small cot set up along the far wall, rumpled blankets and a flattened pillow resting on top of it.  Moving Flynn toward the cot, she shifted his weight to drop his body down, his head landing near the pillow and his lower body hanging off the side.

Glancing to the left, Kai spotted a small table with a series of candles propped up in the center of a small bowl that appeared to be serving as a candleholder.  A box of matches sat beside it and Kai made quick work of lighting a few candles before she stood and closed the door.  A key was in the lock on the inside of the doorknob, which Kai turned to the left, hearing a quiet _click_ as the lock slid into place.

Turning back to the now lit room, Kai took in the space with a sweeping glance - other than the round table, candles and cot, the room was nearly empty.  The cot and blankets on top of it looked fairly clean, the room itself smelling of wax and salt - similar to most buildings in the area.  A crate sat near the cot on the floor with what looked like folded clothing inside of it.  A few pairs of boots were lined up beside the crate and a small anchor symbol, similar to that of house Proudmoore, hung on the wall above them.

Kai saw two small chairs along another wall, a few coats slung across their backs, and a thin side table that had what looked like a wash basin on it, as well as a small basket of various toiletries.  A metal bedpan just barely peaked out from under the side table and that was all she could see - a minimal assortment of personal effects that gave the impression of either a very poor man, or a man who didn't care for material possessions very much.  The lack of indoor plumbing, however, caused Kai's nose to wrinkle in distaste.

Turning her gaze down to Flynn's sleeping form on the cot, Kai frowned.  _I've never met a woman who's very presence brings me to my knees!_ He'd said those words not even thirty minutes before... about her.  _Her eyes, they glow like starlight. Moonlight!_

While she and Flynn had their share of flirtatious moments in the weeks since he'd helped her escape from Tol Dagor prison, it hadn't been - at least from Kai's perspective - anything serious.  In fact, Kai was under the impression that he'd held romantic feelings for their young friend, Taelia, until recently.  Glancing over his relaxed face, Kai could see where many women might find him appealing - as far as humans went, he was decently attractive.  His skin was fair, if slightly weathered from extended periods at sea, his long red hair smooth and shiny.  He had full lips, smile lines peaking out from beneath his facial hair, and long, long eye lashes.  His large hands were calloused and his shoulders and arms were thick with a layer of muscle.  If Kai were honest with herself, he was _very_ \-- she shook her head, deciding that this train of thought wasn't a good idea.

"You are a very confusing man, Flynn Fairwind," Kai whispered while stepping closer to him and reaching down to pull off his boots.

After removing his coat as well, Kai settled him into what looked like a fairly comfortable position on the cot.  He'd muttered a few unintelligible words under his breath as she moved him, but seemed to fall back to sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow again.

Unsure of what to do next, Kai stood awkwardly in the center of the room, glancing left and right a few times before she decided that it was time to leave.  Turning back to the door, Kai reached out to turn the key, only to stop as she heard Flynn's voice from behind her.  "Don't go."

Kai froze in surprise, her hand still outstretched, "Please," he said quietly, "just for tonight."

Turning her head to glance back at him, Kai saw Flynn's bloodshot eyes looking at her, one of his hands reaching out in her direction.  "Flynn, I don't think that's a good idea."

"I'm knackered, love," he said with a weak grin, "not like I could take advantage of you even if I wanted too."

Feeling unsure - a sensation that Kai was unaccustomed too - she remained still, her body comically frozen mid-step as she considered what staying might mean.  Until tonight, she wouldn't have even thought of Flynn as a... _romantic interest_?  He was a mess, almost as much as she was, and clearly he had some sort of emotional attachment to her that she wasn't entirely sure she returned.

"Please," he said again, his voice pleading.

Moving before she was even conscious of making a decision, Kai walked to the two chairs on the other side of the room and moved one over to the the cot, positioning it close enough that she could prop her legs up on the side of the thin bedding if she wished too.  "Fine," she said without looking at Flynn, "I'll stay.  But only to make sure that you don't choke on your own spit or something."

"Such a romantic, you are," Flynn said with a chuckle, turning himself onto his side facing her, "I'm sorry you have to see me like this... or hear me like this.  In fact, I think I might thoroughly regret the evening's events come morning."

Kai chuckled, still keeping her eyes away from him as she took off her own boots and set them on the floor next to the chair, then removed her belt and daggers, hanging them on the back of the chair within arm's reach.  She leaned forward and tugged one of the blankets out from under Flynn's legs and sat down, lifting her feet to rest on cot beside Flynn's thighs, "Go to sleep, Flynn.  We'll talk about this tomorrow."

Sitting back and covering her lap with the thin blanket, Kai closed her eyes and willed herself to rest.  As she sat with her eyes closed, she heard Flynn let out a puff of air that she assumed blew out the nearby candles and, after several silent moments, she heard his breath deepen as he fell back to sleep.

"Fuck," she whispered almost inaudibly, knowing it would be some time before she'd manage to pass out, her mind racing with the evening's events and what it all might mean in the morning.

* * *

##### Darnassus. 117 years earlier

Kai sat silent in the dark, listening to the loud voices coming from her parent's bed chamber.  Her mother and father, Sentinel Arthana and Herbalist Malorne, didn't quarrel often and when they did the arguments never escalated like this.  At first, in the haze of sleep, Kai wasn't even sure what the noises were.  Now, seated stiffly in her bed, her large ears twitched with every word that floated down the hall toward her.

"Tyrande will punish you for this!  Surely you know that!" Malorne's deep voice was pained and angry, a tone Kai had never heard from him before, "Think about your family, Arthana!  What will happen to us if you do this?"

"I _am_ thinking about our family!" her mother replied harshly, "You don't see what it's like out there, Mal!  The darkness crawling over the land, the evil approaching us from all sides!"

"Listen to yourself," Kai flinched as her father's voice came out in what felt like a boom, "What poison is Fandral feeding you?  Surely you can't believe this madness!  Going to Quel'Thalas now, like this, will get you killed!"

Fandral Staghelm, Archdruid and head of the Cenarion Circle, was a vocal critic of the High Priestess of Elune, Tyrande Whisperwind.  While Kai had spoken to him several times over the years, their paths did not often cross.  He was militant and aggressive and Kai had to admit that she feared him slightly.

Luckily, as a Sentinel in training, Kai reported to the High Priestess... as did her mother.

"Fandral is a wise man," her mother replied in a voice that was almost too quiet for Kai to hear, "He is the reason Teldrassil exists - The reason we have a home!  Tyrande is wrong to disregard his concerns."

"You think him to be so wise that he knows better than the _High Priestess of Elune_?  Tyrande is our leader, Arthana.  She'll call you a traitor over this!"

Kai heard movement and then the sound of a door slamming harshly.  Jumping nervously at the sound, Kai could barely make out the patter of light footsteps on the wooden hallway outside of her bedroom.  She knew immediately that the sound was her mother leaving.

Jumping out of bed in nothing but her nightshirt, Kai raced to her bedroom door and flung it open, seeing the shape of her mother pause at the top of the stairs that led down to the main living space of their home, "Kaisha?  How long have you been awake?" Arthana asked, her voice quiet and serene.

"Long enough," Kai replied back, her hands twisting anxiously in front of her.  "What's going on, mother?"

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with, child.  Go back to bed.  We'll talk in the morning."

Kai's brow furrowed, "Will you be here in the morning?"

"I--" her mother ducked her head down and away from Kai, pausing for a long moment before looking back and saying honestly, "I don't know."

"Is father right?  Are you in danger?"

Arthana walked back toward Kai and turned her gently around, directing them back into Kai's bedroom and shutting the door softly behind them.  Kai looked to her mother expectantly, trusting that her mother would never lie to her.

"Times are changing, little one," her mother said finally, "and I'm at the frontlines of that change."

"What does Quel'Thalas have to do with it?  Are you going there?" Kai asked while grasping onto one of her mother's hands and squeezing it tightly.

"I may be," Arthana said truthfully, "along with others who agree there is risk in trusting that the elves there do not plot against us."

Frowning, Kaisha thought to what she knew of the relationship between the people of Darnassus and their distant kin in Quel'Thalas - as far as she was aware, Tyrande viewed them favorably and their peoples were not at odds with each other, "I don't understand, mother.  Aren't the elves of Quel'Thalas our friends?"

"There are always things unseen, child.  More at play than is presented on the surface."

"Is that what the Archdruid told you?"

Arthana heaved a heavy sigh, "Your father disagrees, but I feel strongly that Fandral is right not to trust in the people of Quel'Thalas.  Maiev, also, hesitates to trust them.  We agree that perhaps the High Priestess has allowed her hopes for peace to blind her from seeing the truth."

Kai was confused, her mother's words going against the reality that Kai had been raised to believe, "But what will you do there?  In Quel'Thalas?"

"Gather information.  Observe them, see what plots they weave and report our findings back to Fandral."

"No fighting then?"  Kai asked in clarification, "You won't be in danger there?"

Her mother's brilliant white hair glistened in the moonlight shining through Kai's bedroom window as she shook her head, "There is danger, Kaisha.  If we are discovered, we risk at best being called traitors to the Kaldorei, at worst being killed on sight by the Ranger General of Quel'Thalas."

Squeezing her mother's hand once more, Kai rushed to speak, "Then I'll come with you!  I'll protect you!"

Arthana smiled, "But it is my job to protect you, Kaisha.  That's why I'm going."

"I won't let you go without me, mother.  I'm a sentinel in all but rank!  I can look after myself and help you!"  Kai could hear the pleading in her voice, desperate for her mother to agree.

"Child, what of your father?" Arthana asked, "If something happens to us, he'll be all alone."  The two women paused to look at each other, their glowing eyes sharing sadness and fear, Arthana's also filled with regret, "And Telanvar, Kaisha.  Your betrothed would be heartbroken to lose you."

Looking away from her mother and down to the floor, Kai thought of the elf she loved - the elf she'd promised her future too.  He was fully loyal to Tyrande and would never consider this journey to Quel'Thalas.  In fact, he'd be thoroughly disappointed in her for even considering it herself... but her mother was dear to her.  She couldn't let her go alone.

"He'll understand," Kai whispered before looking back to her mother's face, "and he's stationed in Darkshore for another month.  He may not even realize I've left at all."

"Child, deception and love have no place with each other.  If you intend to hide this from him, it is best that you not come at all."

Kaisha told a deep breath and nodded, "Then I'll tell him.  I won't hide it.  But I also won't let you go alone."

Arthana hesitated, holding Kai's gaze for several intense moments before she nodded gravely.  "Then we tell you father and offer him our final goodbyes.  We have no time to waste."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: This story is taking liberties with the purpose of the sentinel spies in Eversong Woods and the Ghostlands, spies who's presence was never fully explained in lore. While eventual canon explanations may be provided, I'll be using the common assumption that Fandral Staghelm ordered the spy activities, rather than Tyrande herself, given that she had no real reason to act against Quel'Thalas until after the Blood Elves joined the Horde.


	6. Whispered Winds

##### Hook Point, Boralus. Present Day.

The low hum of activity from the nearby street woke Kai up in the early morning hours, light barely filtering through the room's single window. Deep breathing nearby signaled that the room's other occupant, Flynn Fairwind, was still asleep - a hangover sure to join him once he woke up.

Moving silently in the near-dark, Kai stood from the chair she'd fallen asleep on and laced up her leather boots, then placed her wide belt low on her hips, her daggers once again at the ready. Glancing around the room, it was as empty as it had been the night before. A feeling of discomfort washed over her, Kai knowing that she and Flynn would need to talk about last night... about what he'd said, what she'd overheard, and where they went from here.

This was a complication she'd neither wanted or expected... but the fluttering low in her chest, the hopeful excitement of what might happen - what it all might mean - spoke to the potential in... _something_. It had been decades since she'd felt anything like this. Kai had never thought to experience it again, thinking her chance at love had been lost when she'd been forced from Teldrassil and her betrothed, Telanvar, so long ago.

Flynn was a disaster - a drunk and a pirate. Kai was a covert operative for the crown, her life constantly at risk. Kai's homeland had just been destroyed and Flynn's was in a state of political upheaval. All things considered, their timing couldn't be worse.

Shaking her head, feeling her long pigtails slide across her shoulders as she did, Kai decided that all of this would seem less overwhelming if she had food in her stomach. Recalling the delicious pastries that Taelia had given her on a few occasions earlier in their travels, Kai decided she'd head to Mariner's Row to see if she could purchase a few, along with fresh water and headache powder or a healing potion for her sleeping companion.

Turning the key and stepping out into the chill of the morning, Kai quietly shut the door behind her and walked lightly down the exterior steps to the street below. Hook Point was even less inviting in the daylight, piles of garbage stacked along the sides of buildings, drunkards passed out in the street, young children running chaotically around anyone foolish enough to not expect that the little devils were actually pickpockets.

Sticking to the shadows and avoiding any unnecessary attention, Kai made her way south to the far less disreputable area of Mariner's Row, which was, as she came discover, already bustling with activity. Compared to Hook Point, this part of Boralus was cleaner but more densely populated. Merchants were easy to find and the street corners had a guard or two posted, giving the impression of ordered chaos.

Letting her nose do the navigating, Kai found a small bakery tucked in between a series of residential buildings, delicious sugary smells floating outside and into in the area around it. There was a small line of customers waiting for their goods but it was only a few minutes before Kai had her pastries in-hand - two wrapped in thick paper to keep them warm, the other in her free hand, already partially eaten by the time Kai hit the door.

Locating an herbalist or apothecary proved to be more of a challenge. Kai was issued healing potions from SI:7 and rarely found the need to buy them herself, and no obvious signs nearby indicated a shop with what she needed here. Walking up to one of the guards posted close by, Kai asked after a nod in greeting, "Anywhere I can buy some potions or headache powder? An herbalist, perhaps?"

The guard didn't look impressed with Kai's wrinkled clothes and disheveled hair - and what Kai imagined was likely the strong, lingering smell of cigar smoke - but after the slightest of pauses he lifted a meaty hand vaguely northward, "You'll want Declan Senal up in the Tradewinds Market, miss."

Nodding in thanks, Kai took another bite from her still-warm pastry began the trek toward the harbor. This little adventure was taking longer than she'd anticipated and Kai hoped that Flynn wouldn't wake up before she returned, thinking she'd left without a word... that would make things even more awkward than they already were.

Things took a turn, however, during the long walk up the massive stone steps that led from the row to the harbor. Kai felt a tingle of awareness hit her, a feeling that something was watching her from nearby. Glancing casually around, Kai saw no guards, or tradesmen, or townsfolk. A pair of 7th Legion soldiers were at the far top of the stairs but they appeared in deep conversation and didn't seem interested in Kai's presence.

Worried a ruffian or pickpocket had followed her from Hook Point, Kai shifted her movements so that she was closer to stone wall that lined the east side of the stairs, placing her partially in shadow. She slowed her pace, nearly stopping, as she waited for whoever it was to make their move.

After a long and tense pause, she heard the eerily familiar sound of an owl hooting in the air above her, the rush of flapping wings following soon after. Glancing up, Kai saw the shape of a glowing sentinel owl circling low, making a steady approach toward her.

 _Dread_ \- the feeling erupted in the pit of Kai's stomach as the bird neared, it's intensely intelligent gaze seeming to cut through her. She knew this creature - this was Dori'thur. The animal companion of Tyrande Whisperwind... High Priestess of Elune and leader of the Kaldorei people. The owl carried a message and waited expectantly for Kai to take the scroll from it.

Dropping both the half eaten pastry and the small package of uneaten goods to the ground, Kai reached out with a shaking hand and took the small scroll. The owl remained, watching and waiting, as Kai unrolled the parchment and saw the writing within - the beautifully composed note written in Tyrande's own hand:

_Kaisha, I have need of you._

_Maiev and Shandris are en route to Stormwind to petition King Wrynn for aid in retaking Darkshore._ _You were once a champion of our people, and as such, I ask that you join their audience with the king and lend your voice to our cause._

_I suspect we shall meet again soon._

_-Tyrande_

Kai could feel her breath coming in fast pants, her mind racing as she read the words she'd hoped to hear for so, so long... she'd hoped for _any_ indication that she'd be welcome again in the ranks of the Kaldorei - _her people_. She'd never allowed anyone to see the longing she'd felt, not even closest friends - how she missed the forested paths of Teldrassil and the purple glow of the great city of Darnassus. She'd dreamed of it. Imagined the smells and sounds from her childhood... Now Teldrassil was gone but the Kaldorei, it seemed, were ready to fight back.

She shifted her eyes to the owl still floating before her and without hesitation, she nodded. "Tell Tyrande I'm coming."

* * *

##### Eversong Woods, 117 years earlier

Kaisha was panicked, her eyes darting between the swiftly moving form of her mother just ahead of her, to the darkened woods surrounding them. The sound of yelling and heavy footfalls were closing in on them from behind, forcing Kai to push herself to move even faster.

"Hurry, child," her mother called out as she spun to fire an arrow into the figures chasing them, "Run!" Arthana turned around in a graceful leap to run with Kaisha the minute she caught up to her, the pair racing through the unfamiliar landscape.

Kai's own bow lay long forgotten elsewhere in the forest, the bowstring having snapped in half during the initial confrontation with the rangers of Quel'thalas. With only her small daggers left, Kai could only run as her mother attempted to slow their pursuers down.

They had been discovered during a reconnaissance mission to the West Sanctum on a small island just southwest of Silvermoon. Still some distance from their intended destination, their companion Merathir had left them to scout ahead - He'd rushed back to them with shock clear on his face scant moments later - "They know we're here" was all he'd said before an arrow pierced through his chest.

The enemy was on them within seconds, arrows raining down from archers hidden in the trees, warriors leaping forward with swords in-hand. Arthana, an experienced Sentinel, had felled three melee combatants with seemingly little effort, but Kai had struggled to hold her ground. Seeing the inevitability of their situation, Arthana had called for her daughter to retreat. They'd been running for what felt like hours, but surely it had only been a few minutes.

"Make for the water!" Kai's mother called out urgently, her form spinning to fire arrows behind them yet again, "We'll lose them in the water! Swim! Make for Shalandis Isle!" The golden-hued coastline just west of where they'd been discovered came into view mere seconds later.

Knowing she'd be an easy target outside of the cover of the trees, Kai sprinted as fast as her legs could carry her across the narrow strip of sand that led to the ocean. "Hurry, mother!" she called back before she leaped in an arc that would allow for a graceful dive into the shallow water, attempting to do so in such a way that would cause as little disruption to the water's surface. This was now a matter of stealth and Kai couldn't allow her movements to be tracked from the beach.

Hearing a muted splash from behind her, Kai continued forward, flexing and flipping her legs in powerful strokes, taking her deeper into the water and away from the enemy. Shalandis Isle, the base camp for their rogue Sentinel operations, was far to the South - they could get there by water, but it would take hours.

After several intense minutes of swimming, Kai shifted her movements back toward the surface, feeling her lungs beginning to burn from lack of air. Keeping her progress slow and smooth, she let her face peek above the water line, silently gulping in air as she waited for her mother to catch up. With her eyes open to the sky above her, Kai waited for the tell-tale sound of her mother's arrival.

She waited a moment. Then another.  And another.  _Nothing_.

Turning in the water, Kai dipped back down into the depths so that she could watch for Arthana's approach, the glow of the moon providing enough light in these shallow depths for Kai's Kaldorei eyes to track movement for some distance... But no one was coming.

Spinning back and forth, Kai searched the waters around her for moment, but saw nothing but fish and scattered vegetation. Panic once again rising, she started back toward the shoreline, only to stop herself short.  The small amount of rational thinking left in her told her that returning to shore meant death. Arthana was likely a stronger swimmer and was already further South. They'd regroup at camp.  They would.

 _They would_.

* * *

##### Snug Harbor Inn, Tradewinds Market, Boralus

Rushing into the tiny, rented room that had been "home" for Kai since the mission in Kul Tiras had begun, the Kaldorei grabbed hurriedly at the neat pile of blue leather stacked on the bed. The rumpled tunic and trousers she'd worn the evening before were quickly dumped onto the floor as she donned her armor, securing the familiar straps and buckles without conscious thought.

Her eyes zeroed in on her supply bag that rested at the foot of the bed, wrinkled parchment sticking out of it at an odd angle - she needed to tell Shaw where she was going and she didn't have time to argue with him. She'd write a quick note and have it delivered to him by one of the inn's errand boys.

 _And Flynn_.

Kai groaned audibly, her hands rushing even faster as she laced the front of her bodice. Flynn would wake up, if he hadn't already, and find her gone... after the revelations of last night and the implications of what that meant for them. Closing her eyes with a grimace, she knew this action - leaving on Tyrande's summons - might do irreparable damage.

But she had to go.

If Flynn truly meant what he'd said last night - if he had feelings for her that ran that deep - he would understand.

_Flynn,_

_I don't want to leave, but something's come up. I'll find you when I get back. I promise._

_Keep an eye on Banshee for me._

_-K_


	7. INTERLUDE: Aeriss, Dear One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is an interlude into a supporting character of the story, the Draenei High Anchorite Aeriss, first introduced a few chapters ago. While connected to the story, this chapter will not be forwarding the narrative. Consider it an indulgence of mine into one of my oldest and most beloved Warcraft OC's!

Aeriss frowned.  The letters she'd been receiving from Boralus were becoming more sporadic and the worry she had for her young and rather misguided friend was growing rather quickly.  After seeing her briefly only a few days earlier, Aeriss sensed that Kai was troubled... more so than she'd ever been before.  "Oh, Kaisha," the Draenei priestess said under her breath as she read the short note again.

_A- Don't worry about me.  The ale here is chewy and the whole place smells like rotten fish, so Darkshore should be a welcome change.  I'll survive, like I always do... and if I don't, you'll probably be the only one left who'd care.  Be well to_ _yourself and that dud you call a husband. -K_

After the events in Teldrassil, Kaisha had become increasingly unpredictable... and that was saying something, given how difficult the young Kaldorei had been to keep track of to begin with.  Their days working together in the Broken Isles seemed so very long ago, despite it having been less than two years since they'd stopped the Legion.

" _That dud you call a husband_."  Aeriss couldn't help but chuckle.  Two people couldn't be more different than Kaisha and Boros.  Vindicator Boros was known to most of Azeroth as a holy warrior charged with the protection of the Exodar and the remaining Draenei people.  He fought alongside many Azerothian Paladin's on the Broken Shore and traveled to Argus during the final fight against the Legion. He was noble and valiant... but to Aeriss, he was just a man.  Headstrong and impulsive, her husband wore his heart on his sleeve.

Kaisha couldn't stand him, considering him to be self-righteous and pompous... and Boros returned the favor, thinking Kai an unnecessary risk-taker, unstable with bloodlust.  Aeriss had witnessed colorful arguments between the two on a number of occasions, having been required to step in once or twice before things got too heated.

"A message from Kaisha?"  Boros asked quietly as he stepped up beside her, his bulky form radiating warmth as he approached.

"Yes," Aeriss replied, "She says hello."

He grunted in humor, "I'd be shocked if that were the case."

Grinning up at him, Aeriss passed the parchment his way, "Would you like to read it?  She only called you a _dud_ this time."

" _Dud_?  What does that mean?  Another Azerothian insult?"

Snickering inelegantly, Aeriss shook her head, "You do know that we've been on Azeroth far too long for you to claim ignorance of their language and customs by now, don't you?"

Boros grinned her boyishly, "But why bother when I have you to explain it all to me, dear one?"

Rolling her eyes, Aeriss stepped away from him and walked into the small dining space their family used while staying Stormwind.  Their lodgings were modest, located in the Cathedral District, but served them well enough for their short stints in the city.  This was one of the few occasions when all of them - Boros, Aeriss, and their daughter Chara - were in the same place at the same time.

Chara had recently joined the Kirin Tor, her prowess as a Mage recognized by Archmage Khadgar himself.  While Aeriss would have preferred that their daughter serve the Light as her parents did, she was proud to see her daughter forge her own path.  The Draenei did, after all, have a long history of study in the arcane, so she was certain her daughter would do their people proud.

It was then, however, that she smelt _it_.

"Chara, what is _that_?"  The air was filled with a tart, sour smell that made Aeriss' eyes water and her nose crinkle in distaste.

"It's dinner!"  While an adult now, almost ancient by Azerothian standards, Chara was still rather young for a Draenei.  Having reached maturity only a few decades earlier, both Boros and Aeriss found it difficult to view their daughter as anything other than a child.

"It smells horrendous," Boros said from behind her, prompting Aeriss to turn and frown at him.

"I'm sure," she said pointedly, "that Chara worked hard on this meal for us, _dear one_."

Boros grimaced and stepped further into the room, looking at the table to see an alarming assortment of unidentifiable foods, "Should I ask where you learned to make this?  Or is it better left unknown?"

Chara had a wide smile on her increasingly mature looking face as she placed clean plates in front of the table's three chairs, "Archmage Phillppa said these are delicacies in Ironforge.  They taste divine!  Trust me!"  Chara eagerly motioned for her parents to sit as she took her own place on the far side of the table.

The younger Draenei was truly a mix of her parents, with Aeriss' petite facial features, her father's deep, wavy brown hair, and an interesting, if somewhat confusing, blend of their personalities.  Chara was unique, however, in her unending optimism - Even after Shattrath, Chara had found reasons to smile.

Aeriss made a point to breathe through her mouth as she sat down, disparaged to realize that the smells coming from the various _delicacies_ were so pungent that she was able to taste the smell on her tongue.

"Are you sure these are edible?  Perhaps dwarves eat different foods than we do, little one."  Aeriss tried to contain her amusement has she heard Boros' voice tremble slightly as he leaned closer to one of the bowls of... _food_.  It sounded as though he was about to be sick.

"Oh no, I've eaten all of these before!  You'll love them - I promise."  Chara began to spoon what looked like a... root vegetable?... onto her plate before passing the bowl toward Aeriss, "Here, mother, these are delicious!"

Glancing between her daughter and her husband, an intact family who managed to survive against great odds, Aeriss found herself becoming emotional.  Moments like the one they were having now - seated around a dining table - had never been guaranteed before... by all rights, the three of them should be dead.  Taking a moment to center and brace herself, Aeriss spooned some the food onto her plate, skewered one of the brownish-green objects with her fork, and shoved an odorous vegetable into her mouth.

* * *

##### Two Years Earlier - Azsuna, Broken Isles

"I'm shocked, _Aeri_.  Truly."

Aeriss raised a brow as she looked down into Kaisha's face, seeing her young friend snicker in amusement.  "My name is _Aeriss_ , Kaisha.  _Aeri_ is a term used for undergarments in my native tongue and you know I loathe it when you call me that."

Kai laughed outright, tilting her head back to release the barks of laughter unhindered, "Why do you think I keep calling you that?  You never should have told me what it meant!"

Sighing impatiently, Aeriss continued, "Besides, I don't see how this is shocking, Kaisha.  Did you think I would prefer to remain apart from my husband for the entire war?"

Kaisha shook her head, her twin pigtails bouncing ridiculously behind her, "No," the Night Elf replied, "but to do so in the dark of night while the rest of the camp thinks you've retired for the evening?  _Scandalous_!" She wiggled her bushy eyebrows suggestively, "What are you two planning on doing, anyway?  Wait - never mind.  I don't want to know."

Kai continued to snicker as they walked.  To anyone who didn't know them, they would have appeared ill suited as partners or friends, yet they somehow managed to be both.  Kaisha, an SI:7 operative, was undercover with the Uncrowned and working with them to combat the Burning Legion.  Aeriss had, through a series of unlikely events, met the young Kaldorei and learned that some of her objectives were in line with those of the Netherlight Temple.  Kaisha was an assassin and spy.  Aeriss was a holy priestess.  Yet, somehow, they worked well together.

"You're incorrigible," Aeriss replied disapprovingly.

Kai winked at her, "You know you love me."

A blue glow came into view as they continued up a sloping path, an indication that Azurewing Repose was just ahead.  Aeriss found her steps quickening as they neared their destination, the anticipation overwhelming dignity as she nearly ran to the top of the hill.

The overwhelming beauty of the landscape before her went almost unnoticed as she gazed erratically around the small cove, eyes catching every small movement as she sought out the familiar face of her beloved - a face she hadn't seen in months.

"You're a sap, you know that, right?"  Kaisha had caught up, her glowing eyes taking in the home of the Azurewing brood of the blue dragonflight with wry amusement.  "Do you see him?"

"Not yet," Aeriss replied distractedly, walking slowly forward as she continued to search the area, "Perhaps we arrived early."

A quick movement erupted to her left, a shift in the shadows as the large form of a warrior in full plate armor rushed toward her.  Kai made a sound of alarm, daggers drawn almost instantly, before Aeriss was smothered in a crushing embrace, " _Boros_ ," she said in a relieved whisper.

"By Elune's grace, Boros!  I almost attacked you!"  Kaisha was beside the reunited pair, resheathing her daggers as she waited for a response, shaking her head at the perceived idiocy of the paladin beside them.

Aeriss drew back from Boros and turned to Kaisha with a watery smile, tears in her eyes that she wasn't quite aware of, "If you'll give us a few moments, friend?"

Glancing around them and realizing her presence was no longer required, Kai awkwardly nodded and turned away, "Sure!  I'll just... go this way."

Turning her attention back to her husband, Aeriss couldn't contain the relief she felt in seeing him again, "Boros, are you alright?  Whole?"

He nodded with a smile, his massive hands touching her face and hair, "I am well, dear one.  You?  That little demon hasn't gotten you into trouble, has she?"

"Kaisha isn't a demon," Aeriss replied with a laugh, her own hands touching Boros on the arms, chest, face, and anywhere else they could reach to assure her that he was really there.  "I've missed you."

"Not as much as I have missed you."  Turning to walk further into the glowing blue that surrounded them, Boros led her to a small cave nestled within the glowing cove, sitting down and pulling Aeriss close to him as soon as they'd entered, "We should have some privacy here."

"Have you seen Chara?"  Aeriss asked as she relaxed into him, arms wrapping around his waist, "I haven't heard from her in weeks."

"I saw her several days ago," Boros' deep voice vibrated in his chest, his hands returning to Aeriss' hair to play with the dark strands, "I was in Dalaran to restock my supplies and we had lunch together.  She misses you."

Sighing sadly, Aeriss nodded, "I've been so busy here that I've neglected you both.  I'm sorry."

Shaking his head, Boros sent her a rueful smile, "Enough of that, dear one.  This is supposed to be an escape for us."

* * *

##### Present Day, Stormwind

"Don't forget to write to us!" Aeriss called out as she watched her daughter disappear into the portal that would take her back to the Kirin Tor in Dalaran.  Feeling the loss like a punch in the gut, Aeriss leaned heavily into Boros who stood stoically at her side.  "I hate this."

"The Light will guide and protect her," he replied sadly, his tone revealing his own sorrow at watching their only child leave them once again.  Pulling on Aeriss' hand he guided her out of the Mage Tower and they began the walk back to their home in the Cathedral District.

"I think my time in Stormwind is coming to an end as well." Aeriss said thoughtfully.  She had been working closely with Mia Greymane in the recovery of the refugees who'd fled to Stormwind following the burning of Teldrassil.  After many weeks of dedicated healing, the injured were fewer in number - the local priests of Stormwind were now more than capable of tending to those who remained.  "The warfront is where I'm needed now."

"Perhaps," Boros didn't sound convinced, "Though I'd feel better if you stayed close to Velen until the Banshee Queen is dealt with."  Boros had fought at the battle of Lordaeron and watched as Sylvanas had blighted her own troops and raised them as mindless undead... outside of the horrors of Shattrath, nothing had disturbed him more than what he'd witnessed that day.

Aeriss shook her head, "So you can march off to war, Vindicator, but as a High Anchorite I am expected to hide behind Velen's robes?"

Boros glanced her way with an arched brow, "We're using our titles now, are we?"

"I have dedicated my life to serving the Light, just as you have," Aeriss replied defensively, "My daughter is grown and I have fought in just as many wars as you.  What reason do I have to remain behind while you go off to save the world?"

"I don't need to fight, dear one.  I am more than happy to stay with you.  Besides, maybe it's time to try for another little one."

Aeriss tripped forward slightly in shock, her hooved feet making loud clacks on the stone beneath them as she attempted to steady herself.  "A little one?" she sputtered, looking to Boros in confusion, "You want another child?"

The look in Boros' eyes gave Aeriss pause - she saw a spark of hope there, one she hadn't seen in many years, "I've always wanted more children.  You've wanted them too, if I'm not mistaken. With the Legion gone, perhaps we could even provide them with the childhood we wanted to give to Chara, but didn't have the chance too."

Aeriss recalled the many centuries of fear as she had tended to the raising of their daughter.  Agents of Kil'jaeden had always been just a small step behind them, lurking out of sight as she and Boros tried to live their lives.  It was that constant fear that had made them decide against having more children... they'd watched so many of their people die - so many mothers and fathers mourn dead children, countless young ones orphaned and adrift.

The Draenei people had a sad history... and so few were left.  "Perhaps," Aeriss said quietly, "the future is not so bleak as it once was."  Looking Boros up and down, Aeriss added playfully, "Though, you are _quite_ old, Boros.  Do you think you have it in you to make another child?"

Boros grinned, "I'll show you how _old_ I am, dear one," he replied before grasping her by the arm and pulling her swiftly down the street toward their home.

 


End file.
